Lion ready to roar at Ascot

The Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday is the most valuable 2000m race run in Europe and a sensational finale is on the cards with the star group of Roaring Lion, Cracksman, Crystal Ocean and Capri among 14 entries.

Cracksman evoked memories of his sire, Frankel, when a dazzling seven-length winner of the race 12 months ago and has added two more Group 1 victories to his CV this term – the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp and Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom.

On his other start this term, he chased home Poet’s Word in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Roaring Lion has thrived on his racing this year and has shown 2000m to be his optimum trip on his past three starts – reeling off successive Group 1 wins in the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte Inter-national Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes.

The grey, owned by Qatar Racing Limited, also won the Group 2 Betfred Dante Stakes at York in between finishing fifth in the 2000 Guineas and third in the Investec Derby.

Gosden has other potential strings to his bow in Monarchs Glen, absent since winning the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot and Maverick Wave.

Sir Michael Stoute has yet to enjoy a winner on British Champions Day and will be hoping to change that with either Mirage Dancer or Crystal Ocean.

The latter won the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal Meeting before being touched off by Poet’s Word in a compelling King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. On his latest start he again had to settle for second, finding a concession of 4kg to Enable too much to handle.

Capri was a close fifth to En-able in this month’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, having won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and William Hill St Leger last season. He is among five Aidan O’Brien-trained representatives.

WHAT THE TRAINERS SAY:

John Gosden, the trainer of Roaring Lion, Cracksman and Monarchs GlenRoaring Lion: “He’s improved so dramatically this year and been a fabulous horse to train.

I’ve never had a horse get bigger and stronger like he has – and his constitution has truly impressed me.

The extraordinary thing about him is that he’s had a tough season – he’s been hard at it since February – yet he’s come back for more.

He’s in a good place and I think the trainer’s more likely to go over the top than him.“He would be the very legitimate favourite for the Champion Stakes but would not want it very so or heavy.

He’s got the class and speed to run over that mile (in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes) if that were the case and we’ll keep an eye on what’s around us (weather wise).

“He showed a lot of guts in the Eclipse and was hugely impressive in the Juddmonte.

Then he had an impossible task at Leopardstown when forced to go around five horses off no pace. I don’t know how he quickened like he did.

Cracksman: “It’s not been an easy year for Cracksman and the driest summer since 1976 was no help to him but he’s a fabulous horse. I don’t think he’s descended, so much as he’s hit rather a plateau.

He’s in top order.

It’s hard to criticise a horse who has won two Group 1s this year and been second in a Prince of Wales at Royal Ascot in a very good time on fast ground, but he wasn’t quite mentally with us that day.

“He got very interested in the girls coming back from the Windsor Forest. They were walking back into the stables and on a hot day and were sweaty.

He obviously caught a little whiff of them and was rather keen to get over the hedge and say hello to them.

“He’s worked well since and runs whatever the ground. He’s hugely talented and I think you will see a lot of what you saw last year.

He runs whatever the ground and I should think it will be his last race.” Monarchs Glen: “It was a great run (in the Wolferton last time) and it’s quite likely he will run.

We had a couple of spots for him but decided that rather than go for the Prix Dollar at Longchamp, where we were concerned about the ground, or the Darley at New-market, where the ground was too quick, we would save him for Ascot.”

Sir Michael Stoute, the trainer of Crystal Ocean“We are planning to run him in the Champion Stakes.

It would have been better for the owner if he’d won the King George but it was a very brave effort and we’ve really been pleased with the way he has progressed. He will be dropping back in distance but he is eff ective at 2000m.”

Champion Stakes entries: Ad-deybb (IRE), Capri (IRE), Cracks-man (GB), Crystal Ocean (GB); Maverick Wave (USA); Mirage Dancer (GB); Monarchs Glen (GB); Subway Dancer (IRE); Rhododen-dron (IRE); Roaring Lion (USA); Verbal Dexterity (IRE); Athena (IRE); Magical (IRE); Magic Wand (IRE).

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